What Do People Mean When They Say “Zionism”?, by CASJE – 8 June 2026

This issue of the CASJE Research Digest focuses on the term “Zionism”—a concept that has become increasingly prominent in public discourse across media, politics, and campus life, particularly in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.

We chose to center this issue on Zionism not to adjudicate its meaning (or that of its counterpart, “anti-Zionism”), but to better understand how the term is actually used and understood by different publics. The research presented in this issue highlights a striking disconnect: while “Zionism” is widely invoked, most Americans (Jewish and non-Jewish) lack a shared understanding of what it means, and interpretations of its meaning can vary significantly.

For this reason, this issue shifts attention away from labels and toward underlying attitudes toward Israel among American Jews, exploring how they relate to Israel in ways that are often more complex and nuanced than public discourse suggests.

Access the report on CASJE’s website here.

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